Chapter 8 Lady Benetta
For a fleeting second, something in Liam’s expression tightened. Not enough for an untrained eye to catch, but Benetta had never been untrained. Still, when he spoke, his voice remained measured, stripped of anything that could be called emotion.
“I’m here to ask about the northern warehouse,” he said, as though the subject were nothing more than routine. “The shipment that entered the palace this morning. Was it authorized under your name?”
“Yes,” she answered simply; didn't seemed or souded hesitate.
“Did I give you permission to do that?”
For the first time since his arrival, a faint shift passed across Benetta’s face. Not fear, nor guilt.
She rose from her chair with unhurried grace, smoothing the front of her coat as she faced him fully.
“I apologize if my decision caused you inconvenience, Alpha,” she said, her tone as polished as ever. “I believed that, as a senior member of the Prime Council, I retained the authority to oversee matters concerning the palace’s supply chain.”
The pressure behind Liam’s eyes sharpened, a dull pulse threatening to break into something far less controlled. He forced it down, keeping his breathing even, his shoulders still. Anger would serve no purpose here.
“You are aware,” he said slowly, “that the palace enforces strict restrictions on goods entering from the northern warehouse.”
Each word landed with deliberate weight.
“As a senior council member, you should understand that better than anyone.”
Benetta lowered her gaze at once. “I accept your reprimand,” she replied, inclining her head. “If you believe punishment is necessary, I will not object. I remain bound to the laws of Estines, just as any other member of the council.”
For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Liam exhaled quietly, the sound edged with restrained impatience. He turned his head slightly, as if considering something beyond her, before looking back again.
“You know I can’t do that.”
Benetta lifted her head again, meeting his gaze with the same composed expression. There was no trace of submission lingering in her eyes now—only calm awareness.
“Of course,” she said. A brief silence followed. “Thank you for your generousity. But if you don’t mind my asking… was there an issue with the supply?”
Her tone remained polite, but something beneath it shifted—subtle, probing.
“Or,” she continued, her gaze sharpening just enough to be noticed, “does this concern the woman currently residing in your palace?”
The garden seemed to grow quieter around them, the distant rustle of leaves barely audible in the still evening air. Benetta watched him and when no answer came, she spoke again. “Who is she?”
“My new home secretary.”
“Titles can be convenient. But they rarely explain everything.” she said lightly. “ Just because she holds a position in your household doesn’t mean you could easily place her in your bed, my Alpha.” The words were gentle. Then, without breaking eye contact, she asked, “You’ve mated with her?”’
No guards lingered within earshot, no servants drifted too close to the lantern-lit path. It was just the two of them—mother and son—standing in the space between truth and restraint. And yet, when the answer sat right behind his teeth, he didn't give it immediately. Something in his chest felt heavier than it should have.
Liam exhaled slowly, the breath leaving him quieter than expected. “It’s just a one-night stand.”
Benetta didn't respond at once. For a fleeting second, something like amusement flickered in her eyes. It was gone just as quickly.
“Good,” she said at last. “My Alpha was never meant to bind himself to an omega like her.”
She turned slightly, adjusting the sleeve of her coat with composed precision, as though the matter had already lost its significance.
“I would advise you to keep her away from your personal space,” she continued. “Distance has a way of clarifying what is unnecessary. And besides… the council has already begun discussing your Luna.”
“What?” His voice sharpened, the first clear edge of irritation breaking through. “Without my permission?”
“Choosing a Luna is not comparable to a human business arrangement,” he went on, each word more defined than the last. “I won't have the council deciding something that belongs to the Moon Goddess. If there's to be a Luna, she will be my mate.”
“Oh, my Alpha,” she said, the words touched with a lightness that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Even the Moon Goddess might reconsider her decision if she were to see the candidate herself. She is a Gamma,” Benetta continued, her voice carrying a quiet pride. “The daughter of Beta Albert. A well-established family, respected and stable.”
She stepped past Liam, moving slowly along the garden path as she spoke, her tone taking on the ease of a mother describing a carefully chosen future.
“She is beautiful,” she added. “Educated. Composed in a way that suits the position she will hold. There is a natural grace about her—something that cannot be taught, only inherited. And most importantly,”
Benetta said, glancing back over her shoulder, “she will be the perfect mother to your children, your heir.”
“You will meet her soon.”
She didn't wait for his response. By the time Liam turned slightly, Benetta had already begun walking back toward the house, her figure retreating with the same quiet elegance she had carried since the beginning.
Liam remained where he stood when the evening air pressed lightly against him, cool and steady, but it did little to settle the faint tension that had begun to coil somewhere beneath his ribs.
He didn't attach emotion to Skylar; there was no reason to.,She was a solution, that was all. And still, the idea of removing her from that space—of placing distance where there had been none—sat wrong in a way he could not immediately explain.
Liam exhaled, louder this time, as if the thought itself had become an irritation. Before it could settle further, the sound of his phone cut through the quiet.
He reached into his coat and pulled it out, already expecting some routine update from the palace.
“What is it?”
“Alpha… Miss Skylar has left the palace.”